Pandora Hearts
by Ruko-Senpai and Riko-San
Summary: The mind bends and twists to the horrors of this life, but if the mind bends to much, it snaps. Pandora's Box is cracked open; a blur of darkness slipping out and smearing the line between nightmare and reality.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Trapped

_"The world is garbage!" -Sho Minamoto, World Ends With You_

My fingers trembled as I struggled to dial the right number. I shivered as I clutched the phone near my ear, huddling as close as I could to the phone booth. Snow fell heavily from the sky like tears, covering the concrete in a white blanket. The cold penetrated my clothes, making me go almost numb. My uniform had been torn and was blood stained from the constant battles, my injuries stinging from the ever falling snow. I wouldn't last long in this condition, but I had to hear his voice. Even if it was the last time I'd ever hear it.

It was few moments before I heard his voice on the other line. _"Hello?"_

I swallowed, "..Hey."

His voice was suddenly more alert. _"Claire? Where the hell are you?"_

I was about to answer when I heard whispers behind me. They were horrifying whispers, ones that sent chills up my aching spine. I pressed up against the booth as if it would shield me, my heart hammering in my throat and tears spilling over my cheeks. "I-I can't tell you. They found me...I'm surounded."

_"Tell me where you are. I'll come get you; I'll fight off the monsters."_

"I don't think I'm going to make it..." I choked out quietly, my vision obscured by my tears, which were flowing freely now.

His voice, which had before been concerned, was now filled with panic. _"Claire, you _are_ going to make it! Please, just tell me where you are!" _He suddenly sounded desperate, so desperate it hurt just to hear him, _"Please...Please don't do this, Claire. I love you too much to sit back and do nothing. Tell me where you are!"_

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't repeat those words to him. My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn't speak. Fearing that I'd miss my chance, I said, "...I'm sorry."

_"**Claire**-!"_

I hung up the phone. My chest tightened in pain and I winced. Turning to face the demons, all twisted and bent into unrecognizable beings, behind me, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white with the effort. I could barely see straight, my head light, my body aching. I ignored the demons and tilted my head, watching the snow fall, contrasting greatly with the dark navy sky. Closing my eyes, I sucked in the fresh air, icy and rigid from the winter weather. If this was the last time I'd ever take a breath, at least I had made peace with him, with everyone. That was all I needed to do what I had come to do. All I needed to end it all. I'd been fighting this battle for almost twelve years, and now it was time to end it.

My fingertips brushed along my side, feeling the cold metal of the weapon clasped to my waist. Something told me to stop, to think it through, to turn around and call him, tell him where I am. But I couldn't. My fingers wrapped around the handle of the ShinRa-issue handgun. Suddenly my breath hitched, making me jump as I lifted the gun. I felt the metal press against the bottom of my chin, just inches from my throat, cold and merciless. A voice shouted angrily in my head, its voice hoarse as it screamed, begged, at me to stop, but I ignored it. This had to end now. I quickly sucked in breath.

I pulled the trigger.

* * *

(Three years earlier)

I stared out the school window at the cars that passed by, watching as they came and went. It was raining in thick silver sheets again, the third time that week. The rain made the small town I'd been brought up in seem dreary and dim, like an old dingey dishcloth. My school had been located on a hill over-looking the town, the small houses forming a thick circle around the main plaza below, like a fairy circle of some kind.

I heard giggles behind me as something hit me in the back of the head for the seventh time that day. A little voice whispered angrily in my mind, but I ignored it, tapping my finger nail against my desk as the teacher went on and on about the day's lesson. Something else hit me in the back of the head, and from the sharp pain that came with it I guessed it was a small thin booklet. The little voice huffed and whispered, irritated that I wouldn't do anything to stop the teasing. It didn't matter anyway; the only way to stop the teens who thought they were normal from picking on me was to scare them, and I wasn't in the mood to cause a scene.

Looking back, I guess that was the day my life changed. When those two cops walked in with black suits, guns, and handcuffs, some how I knew they came to take me. At the time, I didn't know where. I thought that maybe I'd have a better life with them. Now I know better.

Everyone was silent, even the teacher, as the two men looked around the room. Their uniforms were strange, not something a cop would usually wear. The first man to speak was Wutian, his black hair hanging long. His ivory skin almost looked tan against his suit. Brown eyes scanned the room carefully, as if looking into everyone's souls. When his spoke, his voice was cool, and sent shivers down my spine. "Claire Lovelocke, you're under arrest. Come with us."

Everyone fell silent. After a moment, someone screamed.

I don't know why I stood and walked to them. I had never attempted to hurt anyone, though I had thought about it plenty of times, with good reason, too.

When I was six, my parents and I had gotten in a car wreck. A drunk driver ran the red light and crashed right into the side of our car. My dad had been banged up pretty bad, but my mom didn't make it. I don't remember much from before I woke up in the hospital, but Dad told me that the other car hit the side Mom and I were on, and that was why everything hurt and I couldn't see her. Later on, when I got a bit older, I learned that Mom died on impact, and I would've died too if Isa hadn't kept me breathing.

Anyway, after the crash, strange things started happening. At the time, I thought it was an imaginary friend because it had all the qualities of a friend; it was always there to play with me and whisper to me. Growing older, I named it Isa, and it was my best friend. However, Isa scared my Dad, so he took us to a doctor who said that Isa was a demon who'd taken me as a host when I was in the hospital. That was why I kept breathing when I wasn't supposed to.

Isa wasn't always my friend. Sometimes he would move things without my permission, and it freaked everyone out at school. When the bullying started, Isa tried to attack people, but I wouldn't let him.

The man with red hair smirked at me as he reached around and cuffed me. I'm not sure why he didn't just have me turn around to make it easier, but then again, I wasn't really sure why I was arrested in the first place. His red hair was incredibly bright, making his striking green eyes almost glow. From the way his suit was sloppily hanging off him, I could tell he didn't care much for the way he presented himself. He was tall and lanky, almost as skinny as I was, but it was obvious that he was well toned. I could almost see the girls in my class sighing in adoration. I had to admit, he _was_ cute.

Not that I'd be interested in a guy like that.

"Alright, yo," The red-haired man said, his lazy voice holding a bit of amusement in it, "Be a good girl and come with me."

Holding my arm, he took me out into the hallway, where he made me face the wall. The other man, who must have been the leader of the two, was in the classroom. I heard him talking to the teacher, but I couldn't make out any words.

"Why am I being arrested?" I asked the red-haired man.

"Well," He answered, "we heard a little rumor that there was a demon host in this school."

I froze; no one outside of town knew that what I was. So how...?

The man continued, "You see, we can't just let something like that go unnoticed. So, we decided to pay a little visit."

"Where are you taking me?" I asked after I found my voice. My heart began to beat faster and faster as I started to panic.

"Reno," The other man said, walking into the hallway, "Take her to the car. Make sure she doesn't escape."

Reno nodded. "Got it, boss."

I could feel Isa growing anxious, which made me scared. What was even more terrifying was that I realized that these guys weren't cops. They were Turks.

There was an old saying that everyone knew; better to have been hunted by a Kalm Fang than by a Turk. They were officially called the Department of Administrative Research, but everyone knew better. Turks were monsters, killers in black suits with no emotions. To them, a killing a child was just as easy as killing a criminal. No one met a Turk and lived to tell the tale. They were the people who were sent when things went wrong. ShinRa's lap-dogs.

The ShinRa Electric Power Company was the reason our world was in the sorry state it was in. The reason it rained every other week, why people were dyeing of an incurable sickness that spread like wildfire. Seven years ago, one of their experiments went crazy and tried to destroy the planet. Luckily, a group called Avalanche finally took him down a few months ago. Ever since the world started to recover, ShinRa had begun to rebuild itself slowly, trying to get on people's good side.

It didn't make sense, though; why were they arresting me? A sickening thought hit me like a bag of rocks. ShinRa was infamous for its experiments. They used Mako, the life force of the planet, to enhance their creations. Monsters, humans, animals, it didn't matter as long as it was breathing.

Sephiroth was the company's biggest success, the perfect soldier, and he was actually a good guy. When I was little, he and some others visited the town to get supplies and medical help. He was polite, but didn't talk much, and he almost never changed the stoic look on his face. At the time I had no idea that Sephiroth would be the monster who tried to kill us all.

This realization almost made me puke. My heart was beating out of control, my chest seizing up as I was lead to the elevator. As we waited for the doors to open, I took a breath to calm myself down, though it didn't work. "Isa, you gotta get me out of here," I whispered quietly, hoping and praying that the demon would listen to me for once.

"Did you say something, yo?" Reno asked, turning to me. I shook my head. He stared at me for a moment before asking, "How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm seventeen. What about you?"

Reno grinned. "Eighteen. You're pretty short for your age."

"Not I'm not. You're just tall," I protested.

He snorted, "Yeah right, Short-stuff."

"I'm not short!"

"Just get in the elevator," Reno laughed.

I did as I had been told, flicking my eyes to the corner of the small space. To my relief, Isa was there, though Reno didn't see him.

Isa was hard to describe. It was like I could see him, but I couldn't make out his facial features. He was just...there. Whenever I would try to look at his face, my eyes seemed to bounce away from him, like a force field around his face or something.

The elevator doors closed and started to move down. My chest had grown lighter. I could feel the blood begin to drip from my nose from the fight I had gotten into earlier. I tried to hide it while Isa waited for a moment to strike, but Reno glanced over and saw the blood.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, wiping the blood away with my sleeve.

At first I thought there was no way he'd believe me, that he'd see what was going on and knock me out. Luckily, Reno just shrugged and turned back to the door. I debated whether to knock him out or, better yet, have Isa possess him.

Isa, like every other demon, could take over people, but there was a certain thing a person had in order to be possessed. They had to be afraid because fear is the strongest weakness a person has and a certain level of that fear makes it easier for demons to enter their body. In a way, fear was the strongest weapon at my disposal, and I used it with great energy.

Just looking at Reno told me he wasn't anywhere near afraid of me, despite knowing the damage I could do. This troubled me; he seemed pretty confident that he could control the situation, but why? It seemed a little arrogant to guard a demon and his host all alone. And why was I arrested, anyway? I hadn't done anything serious, considering most of the accidents I had in the past were Isa's fault, so why was ShinRa after me? My stomach dropped as I remember what I realized before.

I felt my stomach do flips, my breakfast threatening to come up my throat. My chest started to seize up, making Isa whisper to me angrily to calm down. I forced myself to take deep breaths. If I got too stressed it'd hurt Isa and he'd get mad; then all hell would break loose.

That was how strong the connection between Isa and I was. My stress level effected him; likewise, his stress effected me. When he was free to roam, Isa could only go a short distance away before it put a strain on me. So, in short, we were practically two souls, two minds, and two beings, all in one person.

There was always the option of knocking Reno out and making a run for it as soon as the doors opened. But if ShinRa knew what I could do, they wouldn't send just two Turks. There was probably another two or so waiting for us.

The elevator slowed to a stop, the doors opening slowing. Sure enough, there was a female Turk standing in the lobby. She had short blonde hair, and stood straight and alert, her honey brown eyes scanning over me carefully. There was a handgun strapped to her side.

"Yo, Elena," Reno greeted, nodding to her as he dragged me out of the elevator.

Elena gestured to the blood that was dripping from my mouth. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

The female Turk frowned and stepped forward, taking a napkin from her pocket and wiping the blood from my face carefully. This simple action seemed so out-of-place, so inappropriate for a Turk, someone who spilt more blood than the most extreme killers. In that moment, I found a weakness, a crack in the woman. Isa whispered to me mischievously.

Elena walked over to Reno and began to speak. It seemed as if she was scolding him. Reno pouted like a child, making me scoff. This guy couldn't seriously be a Turk. As the two spoke, I watched Elena, who kept glancing at me. There was a small hint of anxiety in her eyes that was hidden behind her stoic expression, making me almost sigh in relief. Even a little fear gave us the upper hand. It'd be better to use Reno, since he was probably stronger, but beggars can't be choosers, and I was running out of time.

"Isa, you know what to do," I whispered as quietly as I could. I felt a sharp pain in my head as he obeyed my order.

"Well, we should g-" Elena suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, gasping as Isa took over. Her entire body seemed to shudder.

"Laney? You alright?" Reno stepped forward but stopped as Elena shook violently. I saw his hand reach for the metal rod clasped to his side.

Elena turned to me. Her honey eyes had turned completely stark white, which told me that Isa was complete control. Reno frowned, suddenly on full alert, "What the hell?"

I winced as another pain shot through me, "Isa, hurry!" I said to him, grabbing my wrist as my arm went numb. It felt like needles were pressing into my skin.

Elena reached down and unclasped her handgun. She lifted it, her face blank and cold, a mirror image of Isa's.

"Tseng!" Reno said as the other Turk from before ran over, "Something's wrong with her."

Tseng turned to the young woman, "Elena, lower your gun this instant. That's an order!"

I coughed, covering my mouth. When I looked at my hand, it was covered in blood. I swore, wincing. It'd only been two minutes since Isa possessed her, but I was almost at my time limit. It was too risky to stay any longer. I had to make a break for it before I passed out.

I turned and started running to my left, making a beeline to the double doors. My leg gave out and I stumbled, almost falling, but the adrenaline pumping through my body kept me going. There was shouting behind me and I felt someone grab my arm. "Oh, no you don't!" Reno grunted as he pulled me back. I struggled to get out of his grip, but he was too strong. I kicked back at him, hooking my leg behind his and throwing him off-balance. Both of us went down in a tangled mess of arms and legs. Reno slammed into the floor first, a sickening crack echoing from his right shoulder. I fell next him, wincing as the cold tiles pressed into my cheek. He was quick to entangle himself and shoved his metal rod near my neck, electricity popping dangerously.

"Alright," He said, "Let Elena go!"

My chest felt constricted, making it harder to breathe. I blinked as my eyesight grew blurry, tunneling. I was almost at my time limit.

Elena lifted the gun, pointing it at Reno. As her finger touched the trigger, I coughed up blood, my vision fading completely. If I didn't call him back, I wouldn't survive. "Isa!" I choked out, blood spraying across the floor. Almost instantly, the female Turk sucked in air, her eyes returning to normal before collapsing like a house of cards. Her gun fell from her hands, clattering against the tile floor.

Fatigue hit me hard, and I passed out.

* * *

Tseng caught his comrade, lowering her to the floor. "Elena!" She didn't respond, her eyes remaining closed as if she were asleep. Tseng looked over to where Reno was leaning over the demon host, Claire.

"The girl's out, yo," Reno informed, nudging the demon host with his foot, "How's Laney?"

Tseng checked Elena's vital signs. She was breathing, and he could feel her pulse faintly, but steadily. "She's fine. What about the target?"

"Well, she's alive, I think. That trick must've done a number on her, though."

Tseng sighed in annoyance. The file had said that the demon was aggressive, but he hadn't expected the host herself to act.

Claire Lovelocke didn't have much on her record worth noticing, so it was surprising that she would do something so risky.

Reno reached down and picked up Claire, slinging her carelessly over his shoulder. "Be careful," Tseng warned, "We need her alive."

The younger Turk waved his warning away, "Yeah, yeah, I know."

After cleaning up the blood on the floor, they made their way to the car, Tseng carrying Elena and Reno carrying Claire. Luckily, there was no one in the school's lobby, so they had no trouble along the way. Tseng agreed to drive, since there wasn't much hope that they'd get back to the ShinRa building in one piece if Reno drived. And, as a precautionary measure, Claire was in the back seat with Reno, who had his weapon, an Electric-Modified Rod, charged up and ready to put a little over fifty watts in her body if she woke up and caused any trouble.

The EMR could easily produce way over eleven hundred watts, but unless the host possessed anyone else, there was no need to use enough electricity to power a small house.

As they drove, Reno kept a close eye on Claire. She was still out cold, her head leaning against the window. Her long bangs hung in her face, making it difficult to see her facial features. There was blood on her school shirt from before, the red contrasting greatly with the white fabric. Her long brown hair was pulled over one shoulder. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing her bare arms. Something on the inside of her right wrist caught his eye.

"Hey, Tseng," Reno asked, since Tseng was the only one who actually read the file, "whats with the tattoo?"

Tseng didn't answer. Reno almost repeated himself, thinking the man hadn't heard, when the head Turk spoke. "That's not a tattoo. It's a scar."

"In the shape of a cross?"

"The villagers weren't pleased when they learned what she was. They tried to exorcise her."

Shaking his head, Reno tapped his EMR lazily against his knee, listening to the electricity crack. Thanks to the Mako in his body, he could barely feel the electricity run through his body. He was growing incredibly bored sitting there, without anything to do. It was gonna be along ride.

* * *

A loud noise made my eyes snap open. I cringed at the harsh light hanging overhead, my head throbbing. Ignoring the ache growing in my head, I sat up, making my back pop with the effort.

I was in a room that I didn't recognize. It was almost completely bare, except for a desk, a chair, and the bed I was on. As I looked around, the chair near the desk rose from its position and was slung at the door by an unseen force, crashing against it loudly. Isa was freaking out, his normal whisper growing into a high-pitched squeal, like nails on a chalk board. I clamped my hands over my ears, trying to block out the sound only I could hear.

"Isa!" I almost yelled, "_Shut Up!_"

The sound stopped, allowing me to lower my hands. "Jeez, what's with you?" I asked, not at all feeling crazy for talking to someone who wasn't physically there. Isa didn't answer me, just circled the room over and over as if he couldn't sit still. My wrist was beginning to burn, and I rubbed it for comfort. The door knob turned, my attention turn from Isa to the door as it opened.

A man wearing a white suit walked in, his head held high. He had short blond hair and cruel blue eyes. I didn't recognize him, but I saw the woman named Elena and the man named Tseng standing close to him and it became clear who this man was; Rufus ShinRa, the president of the ShinRa Company.

Growing up, my mind was trained to automatically watch and analyze the movements of the people I came into contact with, reading their personalities based on how they carried themselves and the way they talked. This way, I could store the information in my mind for later use. Rufus presented himself well, sharp and precise like a knife. His face was stoic, but the look in his eyes was arrogant and clever. This man was not someone to mess with. I stood to my feet as he spoke.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Lovelocke," He greeted, as if it were a planned meeting, "I'm sure you're wondering why you were brought here."

"I have a vague idea," I replied, glancing over at Isa, who remained in the corner. Rufus followed my gaze, though he couldn't see the demon that stood so close to him.

Rufus looked back to me and smiled strangely, like he was pleased that I could see something he couldn't. "I've heard a lot about you and your...'friend', Miss Lovelocke, and I'd like to see a display of your abilities." The arrogant look in his eyes grew. He wanted me to show him what I could do.

* * *

Rufus watched the demon host tense.

"I don't have any abilities," Claire said quickly, "You'd be lucky to see anything."

She was strange-looking, just as her file had said. Everything else appeared normal, but her eyes were a different story. They were light blue, with strange wisps of silver. Her eyes made it seem as if she were staring intensely, her gaze cool and detached, yet hard and threatening. They were darting all around him, and from the information in her file, Rufus knew she was analyzing and memorizing his every movement.

Rufus couldn't believe how lucky he was; Claire Lovelocke was indeed a powerful host, whether she knew it or not. She'd make an excellent addition to his 'collection'. "Miss Lovelocke, I'd like to try something," Rufus said, motioning to Tseng to lift his gun. Tseng hesitated, confused, but did as he was ordered. Claire's strange eyes widened and she backed up a few steps. "Now," Rufus explained casually, "let's test that theory of those abilities of yours. Tseng."

Tseng glanced at Rufus before placing a finger on the trigger. Claire held out her hands as if they could stop whatever happened. "W-wait! You can't do this!"

Rufus crossed his arms. "Oh?"

"This is murder!"

"Well, we won't have that problem if your 'friend' comes to your rescue, would we?"

"You'll be to blame!" Claire stated boldly, "After all the shit you put the planet through, the people won't think highly of you after they hear of what you did."

Rufus tensed; she had hit a vein in his plan. However, he quickly found a way to overcome that problem. She wasn't the only one quick on their feet. "If you fail to show me your abilities, Miss Lovelocke, my Turks will simply clean up the mess. Whats one less issue in the world, anyway?" Claire started to panic, glancing between Tseng and Rufus. Tseng quickly pulled the trigger.

Claire screamed and stumbled backwards as the first bullet barely missed her by inches. She fell on the floor and scooted back as far as she could get, shaking as tears streaked her face. Rufus nodded and Tseng shot several more bullets. Claire brought up her arm to block.

"Isa, I need you!" She screamed.

Rufus was confused about who she was talking to, but it all clicked into place as the bullets harmlessly fell to the ground a few feet from her. They seemed to just drop from thin air. A smile crossed the President's face. Claire's eyes widened even more, if such a feat was possible, as she realized what she had just done. He turned away from her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Miss LoveLocke. We have much to discuss," Rufus said, walking out and leaving the crying girl to shake and tremble in the corner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Woo-hoo! 20 views, 2 followers, and 1 review! It's not even my birthday, guys. *sniff***

**As a celebration for the success, I bring you the next chapter! Chapters from this point on are going to be missions split into three parts, but don't worry; we'll try to make them as long as we can, which is usually 4,000-5,000 words, maybe 6,000 if we have the time. There'll be some chapters that aren't missions, and are the important events in between. Also, support would be wonderful. :) This isn't my first time treading through FF7 territory, and I know you're all a pretty cool crowd. Riko-San is a bit inexperienced in this fandom, so show some mercy. Kami knows I haven't, haha.**

**Well, I'll just shut up and let you guys do your thing. Enjoy!**

**-Ruko-Sempai**

***Disclaimer* I don't own the characters or contents of Final Fantasy VII, seeing as that right belongs to Square Enix. I own only my sick, twisted little mind, and anything that comes out of it. Claire Lovelocke is a joint-custody character of both Riko and myself, and anyone who borrows (read: steals) her without permission will be the target of Isa. All rights reserved.**

***Update: December 31, 2013: Grammar mistakes were fixed. -Riko-San***

* * *

Chapter 2: The Party, part 1: Damned

_We were driving home from school. It was December 21st, my sixth birthday. I was in the backseat, pretending to be asleep as I listened to my parent's conversation. I knew they wouldn't talk about grown-up stuff around me when I was awake. They said I was too young to understand. Usually, they talked about boring stuff, like electricity bills, but today was different. My mommy sounded nervous, and when I peeked at her, I saw her glancing anxiously out the window. Daddy tried to calm her down, but to no avail._

_"They may have forgotten, Serah," He said soothingly._

_"It's been six years, Jack. That was all the time they gave me," Mommy replied, "Oh, God, what if they take Claire, too?"_

_"Six years is a long time-"_

_"Demons never forget."_

_Demons? What were they talking about? Who were 'they'? I felt my mommy's hand against my cheek. "My baby...I won't let them take her. I promised a life for a life, and one life is all they'll get."_

_I heard my daddy's voice, sounding confused and frustrated, "What is this guy doing? Jeez, he's gonna kill someone driving like that."_

_"Jack? What's wrong with him? His eyes look strange."_

_"Probably drunk."_

_curiosity overtook me and I opened my eyes, trying to look over the dashboard. My mommy leaned forward, looking closely at the car that was serving in and out of the lane next to us. Gasping, she covered her mouth with her hand, her face drained of color. "It's them," She whispered, wide-eyed and terrified, her body shaking. Daddy gritted his teeth._

_"You're sure?"_

_"White eyes, Jack. It's them!"_

_I spoke up. "Mommy? Whose 'them'?"_

_Mommy turned to say something, but never got a chance to answer me because the swerving car suddenly slammed into the passenger side of our car. My body jerked to the side, everything going black._

_I woke up hanging upside down, my seatbelt digging into my skin as it restrained me from falling on my head. Pain racked my small body every time I tried to move, making me cry. It was silent, but I could hear sirens in the background. Looking at the driver's seat, I saw my daddy slumped up in the seat. "Daddy?" No answer. My mommy wasn't in her seat, but right below it, laying still on the ceiling of the car. Her seatbelt looked as if it had snapped. Mommy looked strange, her neck twisted at an odd angle and her eyes glassy and dull and lifeless as she stared up at me. "M-mommy?" I choked out, "Mommy, you look funny. Mommy?"_

_My seatbelt suddenly snapped and I slammed into the ceiling of the car, every bone in my body seeming to crack with the collision. I cried out, wanting to make the pain stop but not knowing how. Strange things, twisted and mangled, seemed to pass right through the walls of the car, coming straight for me. I screamed, trying to crawl away, but my body moved slowly and I didn't get far before something cold grabbed my ankle and yanked me back. I screamed again and kicked blindly, trying to break free. The twisted figures all lunged for me, scratching and tearing at my skin._

_Suddenly their weight was lifted, and I managed to crack my eyes open a bit to see my savior. "D-daddy. . .?"_

_The man didn't answer as he continued to beat back the dark shapes. I tried to look at his face, but every time I did, my gaze would just bounce away to something else. The man turned around to face me, but didn't say anything or ask if I was alright. Simply stared. Something clicked then, between us. I named him Isa._

* * *

_"Let me go!" I screamed, yanking hard against the straps restraining my arms and legs. At fourteen, I was pretty strong, but not strong enough to break free. The group of people stared down at me, some of the men coming closer to help restrain me. I thrashed back and forth, trying to make the metal table tip over, but no such luck. "Stop it!"_

_The preacher of the church looked at me, then to the leader of the town, his eyes full of uncertainty. The town leader nodded stoically, glaring hatefully in my direction._

_I could feel my skin tingling from being in the church, on holy ground. My stomach did flips. As the preacher came up next to me, a book in one hand and a cross in the other, he regarded me with compassion. "It's for your own good, Claire; to cleanse you from the evil that has possessed you."_

_He placed the cross on the inside of my right wrist. The wood felt cool against my skin. I struggled harder. "Isa isn't evil! He'd never hurt me!"_

_The holy man opened his book and began to read. "Our God, who art in Heaven-"_

_The cross on my arm began to burn, making me scream. "Stop it! Please!"_

_"-hollow be thy name."_

_My entire body seemed to shake, convulsing and twisting as pain tore through my chest, as if something wanted to come out, scratching its way to the surface. "Isa, I need you!" I cried, tears streaming down my face, my screams echoing and bouncing off the walls. The preacher suddenly fell back, as if pushed away. The pain instantly stopped and I sighed in relief. The restraints holding me were snapped in two, allowing me to sit up and rub my wrist. There was a black mark from the cross, still stinging a little. Everyone screamed, a few running to help the pastor up, others grabbing weapons. A man rushed at me, a shotgun pointed directly at me._

_"Isa!" I felt a tug near the back of my mind, so strong my head jerked back, and felt blood spray from my mouth. The man holding the shotgun suddenly stopped, his eyes turning white. Everything seemed to slow down to a stop, everyone staring at the man, wondering why he hadn't shot my head off. I coughed, more blood staining my dress. After a moment, I shakily stepped forward. Something about those white eyes seemed. . . familiar. "I-Isa?" The man nodded silently and grabbed my wrist, hard._

_Turning, he lifted the shotgun and shot one of the men, right in the chest. Blood sprayed everywhere as I screamed, my hand clasped on my mouth. Everyone ran as fast as they could, some tripping over others to escape. Several shots rang out, several people fell. "Isa, stop!" Isa raised the gun again at a women who had fallen, but I pushed his arm away and the shot went off into the air. Standing in front of him, I yelled, "I said stop it!" He instantly stopped, lowering the gun. I rubbed my temples, a head ache forming. The pain in my chest stopped as the man fell to the ground, unconscious. Whatever Isa had just done, it was over. Without warning, I threw up, the sent of blood and death intoxicating. I took a step towards the door, stumbling._

_"Y-you monster," Someone said. I turned; it was the town leader. He was kneeling over the man who'd been shot. "He. . . He had a pregnant wife." The man's fists shook. "How. . . How can you do something like this. . .?" His voice rose to a shout, "How can you just walk away from that?!"_

_Something inside me clicked, like a light switch being turned off. I stumbled over to him, nearly falling, but managing to stay on my feet. "I'm. . . a monster?" I mumbled, staring down at him. Blood dripped from my mouth, splattering against my bare feet. For some reason, that statement seemed so funny to me that I started to laugh quietly. "Th-that seems fair, I guess." My arm shot out, grabbing his throat loosely and pulling him close. I started to shake, "Do you see him?" I whispered to the man, "Do you see any of them now?"_

_The man looked behind me. His eyes widened, and I could tell he saw Isa hovering over me, saw the twisted and deformed shadows behind that only I could see. He struggled to reply, "I-I-"_

_"If you come after me again," I hissed, ". . . I'll kill everyone."_

_Shoving him back, I stood up, almost falling over. I walked out of the church, feeling strangely numb._

* * *

Numb.

That was all I could feel, my arms and legs numb and still. I couldn't remember when I fell asleep that night. After hour and hours of crying and screaming, banging my fists against the door until my knuckles bled, my body must have given up. I woke up on the floor near the center of the room, freezing from the cold draft that wafted under the door. I shivered, the memories still fresh in my mind.

I tried to move, but couldn't; my body wouldn't respond to me. It took so much effort just to move my head a few inches, I was out of breath by the time I could look down at the rest of me. Looking at my limbs, I understood why. My hands had a blue tint to them from being too cold, and light red streaks went up and down my arms. I didn't remember doing it, but Isa must have paralyzed me last night to keep me from hurting myself in my rage and despair by accident. I suppose he didn't realize I needed to move to get on the bed. I lowered my head, taking a look at my legs. They were a light blue color.

"I-" I tried to call out to Isa, but my throat felt as if it was torn, making me wince, "I-s-sa." I saw him hovering over me. Since he didn't have a physical appearance, he didn't see how fatal frost bite could be. "Ge-g-"

The door open, and I heard Elena's voice turn from friendly to panicked. "Good morn- Oh my god!" I heard a metal clang, as if she dropped something. She rushed over to me and I saw her place a hand on my shoulder. "Claire, are you alright? Can you speak?" Without waiting for an answer, Elena turned to the door and yelled, "Reno, Rude! She needs help, now!" There were several more footsteps, and I heard Reno's voice.

"What do we do, yo?"

"Take her to the shower room and I'll meet you there. Rude, go tell Tseng and the President. I'll get some blankets; we have to get her warmed up."

I heard Reno snicker, "I'll warm her up-"

"_Reno_."

"Alright, alright. Jeez." Reno bent down and picked me up while Elena and the man named Rude hurried out of the room. Reno held me tightly as he walked out of the room, unaware that Isa was wandering around him. His body heat gave me some warmth, though it wasn't much. After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly, the read-haired Turk stopped in the middle of the hallway. "No where was it again...?" He muttered, looking around. If I had the strength to roll my eyes, I would have; this guy would be the end of me sooner or later.

Looking back, I realize it was later, not sooner. Much later.

Isa, who had finished his exploration of the hall, noticed Reno's confusion and knocked over the trash can near a door to the left. Reno's attention snapped over to the door, then to me. "I knew that, yo." He carried me into the room and set me down in the nearest tub just as Elena rushed in with a bundle of blankets and clothes.

Turning to Elena, he said, "Need any help?"

Elena frowned, set the bundle down, and started to push him out of the room. "No way, you pervert. Out!" She closed the door and was about to turn around when Isa locked the door. Elena jumped, startled, and stared at the door with wide eyes.

I didn't want her to freak out- my life_ was_ on the line, after all- so I struggled to speak. "I-sa j-just. . . wants. . to-to k-keep him o-o-out," I choked out, "You're s-safe."

Elena nodded and crouched next to the tub, turning on the hot water. As the tub filled with warm water, I felt the numbness slowly beginning to fade, leaving needle-like pain in its place. The room began to fill with steam. Once the water reached my chest, Elena turned off the tap and grabbed a sponge, wiping warm water over my shoulder. When I could speak better, I asked, "Why ar-are you h-help-ing me? I-Isa almost killed you." It was an honest question, and, much to my surprise, Elena gave an honest answer.

"From now on, you're a Turk. You're one of us, and we look out for our own," She said, rubbing my arm with a wet sponge, "I know it's a lot to take in, but you'll get used to it in time."

Those words stung me. _"You're a_ _Turk_." I had always been called a monster, but now I had the official label. "Turks are monsters," I said, not caring if I offended her.

Surprisingly, she shrugged, "A lot of people think so. It used to bother me, but not anymore."

"Why?"

Elena smiled, "People don't really know what we do. I mean sure, we kill people, but so does everyone at some point, right?"

I glared at her, hard, "Turks kill like it's nothing."

"You've never killed a man, have you?" She suddenly asked, making me shut up. I blinked and looked away. Elena nodded, "That's what I thought. When you kill someone, you're wiping their existence off the face of the planet. It's easy, so easy it's horrifying, but it comes with a price. Their blood is on your hands. The first few nights after your first kill are hell, nightmare after nightmare. You're not really the same after that." She was speaking softly now, soaking my other arm. "We hide our emotions because we're trained to; we have no choice. Tell me, if I was really a monster, would I be keeping you from freezing to death?"

I stared at her, trying to find a crack, a loophole in her statement that would prove it was a lie. But I found none. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I looked away and kept quiet. Elena swept the sponge over the scar on my wrist. She stared at it for a split second, but didn't comment. I was grateful for that; she didn't ask and I didn't tell.

After an hour or so, Elena sat back and said, "Alright, can you lift your arm? If so, try to wiggle your fingers."

It took me a moment, but I managed to lift my arm out of the water and move my fingers back and forth. I moved my legs and made sure my toes still worked, turning my head left and right. "I think I'm good," I said.

Elena nodded and helped me out of the tub, handing me a fluffy blue towel. While I dried off, she picked through the bundle near the tub and grabbed a white dress shirt, a black blazer, and black dress pants, completed by a black tie. "I was your size about a year ago, so these should fit you. Also," She picked up a pair of panties and a bra, "I went out and bought you some of these. I'm not sure what size you are, but you have a tiny waist, and I'm sure they'll fit."

I couldn't help but stare at her in shock. "You bought me clothes...?" I asked, dumbfounded.

Elena gave me a bright smile. "Well, I was the only girl in the Turks 'till now, you know. I almost never got to buy any girl clothes, but now that you're here, it's like Christmas shopping," She gasped, making me jump, "Oh! We can be like sisters! I've always wanted a little sister!"

I blinked at her sudden change in mood. I couldn't help but smile a little as she helped me take off my soaking wet school clothes and into the Turk uniform and fussed over my hair with a pink hair dryer. The shirt was a bit tight, seeing as though I was about a bust size bigger than her, but it wasn't too air-constricting as long as the first few buttons were left undone. No cleavage was shone, so I didn't complain. The sleeves, however, were large near the hem, and it took a moment to get the blazer on. Like the shirt, it was a bit small, and I could only zip it up halfway. The pants fit well enough, luckily, like a black pair of boots Elena gave me. She kept doting on me, which made me feel strange. This was a Turk, a monster, and yet here she was, chattering and laughing as if we'd known each other forever. Part of me felt like I should laugh with her and relax, but a bigger part of me said to keep my guard up, that it was all a façade.

Once I was dried and dressed, Elena unlocked the door and turned to me. "Oh, yeah, I need to warn you about Reno."

"What about him?"

"He's...difficult to handle. That dumbass will flirt with anything that moves. He'll hit on you a couple of times a day, so it's best to just ignore him."

"Did he do that to you?"

"Yeah, until I shot him in the foot. He knows better now."

I started laughing when I heard her say that, despite not wanting to. Elena smiled at me again and led me out into the hallway. My legs were still a bit numb, and my steps were unsteady. Elena insisted on helping me, though it made Isa mad that I wasn't totally dependent on him. "I'm not a little kid anymore," I argued with him for a good ten minutes on the subject while Elena watched, amused.

"Does he really answer you?" She asked as we walked down the hall.

I nodded. "He usually whispers to me."

"Only you can see him, huh?"

I shrugged, "Yeah. Younger kids and animals sometimes see him, and psychics can sense him well enough. Normal people don't even know Isa's around," My arm shot out, my hand grasping her throat and slamming her against the wall, "unless I do this." Elena gasped and clawed at my hand, though I wasn't cutting off her air circulation. When she glanced at me and her eyes widened in fear, I pulled away.

We walked in silence after that until she spoke up. "How long have you been, um, tied to Isa?"

"The correct term is contracted," I said, "Isa possessed me when I was six and stayed inside me until I was seven, when I signed his contract. We've been like this ever since."

Thankfully, I didn't have to explain the contract thing to Elena, which made the trip down the hallway a bit better. As we neared an elevator, I saw a woman struggling to pick a few scattered papers up off the floor. Her stomach was round with pregnancy. Elena glanced at her but continued to walk past. I frowned and bent down, picking up the papers while the woman sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you, sweetie," She said when I handed the papers to her.

I shook my head. "No problem. You should be more careful," I said, gesturing to her stomach.

She rubbed it fondly and smiled at me. "I've never seen you before, are you a Turk? You're awfully young." The woman asked, referring to my new uniform.

Shrugging I replied. "I guess I am." She smiled again and patted my shoulder.

"Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep you here, then. Good luck, dear!"

I nodded and smiled back at her before catching up to Elena, who was waiting for me. When I caught up to her, I asked, "Why didn't you help that woman?"

"It wasn't my business."

"It doesn't need to be your business, its common sense," I snapped, "No wonder everyone thinks you guys are heartless bastards."

Elena turned to me, "In case you've forgotten, Claire, you're one of us now. Everyone sees us as people to be feared, and that's how it should be. You should understand being feared more than anyone."

"You're an asshole for that," I said pointedly, "Excuse me for trying to improve your self-image; I'll think twice next time."

We arrived at a dark, wooden door. Elena turned to me. "Try to behave yourself, okay?"

I shook my head, "No promises."

Elena opened the door and stepped inside, waiting for me to enter before closing it again. It was a large room, with a sofa on each side and a desk in the middle, near the back. Several tall windows took up the wall behind the desk, sunlight shining brightly in. Rufus sat at the wooden desk, Tseng standing on one side of him, Reno and Rude on the other. Rufus looked up at us and smiled. "Ah, Miss Lovelocke. You look nice."

Gritting my teeth, I said, "Thanks."

Rufus looked at Elena and nodded. "Good luck," she whispered to me before walking over to stand near Tseng.

When she was gone from my side, I crossed my arms, glaring full force at the president. He didn't seem to notice, and motioned to me to come closer. I walked over, raising a brow when he slid a file over to me. Glancing at him, I picked it up.

"Recognize any of those boys?" Rufus asked while I flipped through the file. There were pictures and bios on several guys I knew who sold drugs in town.

I nodded, "How did you get these?"

"There's one more," Rufus said, placing a paper on the desk. It had a picture of me pinned to the top.

"How did you get that?!" I snapped, as he swiped the paper up before I could get to it.

"I have sources. It's very interesting, Claire," he said, dropping the formalities, "I had no idea you're a drug smuggler."

I glared at him. "I'm not a smuggler and I never was. It was just a one-time thing; I got out of it."

Rufus smirked, "Well, either way, we've got records of your 'one-time thing'. It's important to bust this group, and what better way than to use one of their own?"

Shaking my head, I said, "I won't do anything for you. They won't fall for it. I've known these guys since I was twelve, and believe me, they're not to be messed with." Realization made me almost sigh in relief. I had forgotten that I had a few friends that weren't afraid to get dirty. "They'll come for me once they realize I'm gone."

"What makes you think that?"

"I know they will."

"Since you seem so sure of yourself, I'll make a deal with you," Rufus reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Handing it to me, he said, "Here. Call your friends and ask them to come get you. If they do, I'll let you leave, and you'll never hear from ShinRa again. If they don't, you stay here as a Turk and help take them down."

I hesitated, holding the phone in my hand. It was common sense not to make any kind of deal with ShinRa; the odds were almost always unfair. But I had known these guys so long we were like family, and family always helped each other out, right? As much as it pained me to think, it was true that even if they wouldn't come just for me, surely they'd come because of all the things Isa and I could do to help them. I couldn't let that chance of freedom slip away.

Flipping open the phone, I dialed the only number I knew other than my dad's. Everyone called him Big Bro because he was always there to help anyone, no matter what trouble they were in.

_"Hello?"_

"Big Bro? It's Claire."

_"Sissy? What's up? I heard you got suspended from the alternative school. What'd you do?"_

I frowned. So that's the excuse ShinRa told everyone. "I wasn't suspended and I didn't do anything," I turned away from Rufus, lowering my voice, "ShinRa has me."

_"Shit! Babe, they didn't find anything on you, did they?"_

"What? No!" I hissed, "Of course not! I told you I'm not doing that crap anymore. Listen, I need you to come get me."

_"I'm so sorry, Sissy, but I can't."_

The air in my lungs rushed out and I gasped for oxygen. "W-what?"

_"The boss won't let me, girl. He says you've been a narc this entire time."_

"If I were a narc, don't you think you'd have been busted by now?! They want me because of what I'm capable of."

_"Sissy, you've been loyal to us for years, but I don't think it's gonna happen. I'm sorry."_

It felt like a punch to the stomach. I couldn't breathe for a moment. "Big bro?" I asked, "I need you to tell the boss something."

_"Anything for you, baby girl. What is it?"_

Looking straight at Rufus, I said, "Tell him ShinRa has a new Turk. I'll be visiting soon."

Ignoring the profanity coming from the phone, I snapped it shut and tossed it to Rufus. There was a strange empty feeling in my stomach, making me feel hollow and vulnerable. My eyes were dry; I refused to cry in front of my new boss. Isa brushed up against me, letting me know he was there, and the feeling went away. Crossing my arms, I asked, "When do I start?"

* * *

"This is _not _what I had in mind." I grumbled.

"Well," Elena said, looking through the clothes rack, "beggars can't be choosers. I think it's kind of sweet that he invited us."

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, as body guards."

The big plan to take down my old group was postponed. Instead, Rufus was holding a big party to celebrate his freaking birthday, and it was the Turk's mission to keep him and the other people attending safe, since there was a rumor of an Anti-ShinRa group operating in the area. Still, a party was a party, and Elena had dragged me out into the town of Edge to go dress shopping with her before the party that night.

"I still don't see why we can't just go in our uniforms like the guys," I complained, wanting to be anywhere except the small, claustrophobia-inducing thrift shop.

Elena pulled a light pink dress from the rack and examined it. "The point of this mission is to blend into the crowd so that we can take down any threats as quickly as possible."

Tilting my head, I said, "So wait, we're putting Rufus' life in danger so we can save it?"

"In a way, yeah."

Watching as she made a face and put the pink dress back, I stretched my arms. "Please tell me we're at least allowed to have our weapons on us." Tseng had given me a standard-issue handgun to use. After a few practice rounds and my explanation of how I went hunting with my dad all the time, I was an official Turk.

"Tseng said as long as it's hidden, we can have them. How about this?" She shoved a purple dress with one strap in my face. I leaned back, taking a good look at it. It had a cut from the hip down on the right side, and was slim, not poofy, so it'd be easier to move around in. I shrugged.

"Looks okay to me."

Elena smiled brightly at me. "I'll help you do your make-up and hair!"

This made me smile a bit. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here. Elena was convinced we were friends. Maybe we were; I was starting to warm up to her.

A commotion at the front of the store caught our attention. I stood up and looked over to the store front. Two guys were in a heated argument about something, but I couldn't hear the conversation. I turned to Elena and she shrugged. "Doesn't involve us," Was her reply.

I frowned, but turned back to the clothes and kept silent. The argument turned into a shouting match and I looked at the two men just in time for the first fist to be thrown. "Hey!" I said, quickly walking over to the fight.

"Claire!" Elena said, following me.

"Knock it off," I told them. When I was ignored, the teenaged shop-keeper looked at me anxiously. "I said knock it off." The men continued to fight. I grabbed an old sink pipe from a basket of junk and swung, hitting the taller man in the back of the leg. He fell to one knee, profanity flying out of his mouth like no tomorrow. The other guy swung a fist and I blocked with my forearm. Suddenly the man, his fist already in full swing, was smacked over the head by a rather large book. Elena dropped the book, though it looked more like a cement block, and looked at me.

"Are you alright?" She asked. I nodded.

I bent down and grabbed the tall man, shoving him closer to the door. "Take it outside," I said, "or I'll take it out there for you."

The man who had been booked by Elena stumbled to his feet. "I'll fuck you up!" He spat.

"Not even on your birthday, sweetheart," I snapped.

Elena spoke up. "We can always use force to deal with you."

I nodded in agreement and pointed to the large cement block/book. "We've got concrete literature on our side."

Mr. Tall-guy seemed notice we were Turks, considering he stood and glared at us. "Damn Turks," He muttered before turning and walking out. The other man, however, wasn't as bright, and it took a moment for it to register in his mind who we were. When it did, five minutes later, his eyes widened and he ran out as fast as he could.

The shop keeper was so grateful, he lowered the price of the dresses three bucks. As we left the shop with my purple dress and her black one, she added, "Oh, we'll be in fake couples to blend in easier at the party. I'll be with Rude most of the time. Tseng will be near Rufus, and you'll-"

I stopped. "Elena, you'd better be kidding."

"Well-"

"Do I have to be with that guy?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

If I could have jumped into traffic, I would've.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Party, Part 2; Demons

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**-Ruko-Sempai**

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* * *

"Get your hand off my butt."

"Sorry, yo. It slipped."

I rolled my eyes. Of all people, I was stuck with Reno for the next five hours.

We walked into the ballroom of a building Rufus had rented for the party. A lot of people were already there, though it was only six o'clock. The ballroom was huge, with a shiny tile floor and rich red curtains were drawn to let the warm glow of the setting sun enter in. Multiple tables full of different food and drinks were against one wall, the smell making me wish I had eaten lunch. Everything looked fancy and elegant, even the people; women in beautiful dresses of all colors and sizes and men in exspensive looking suits. All the people talking and laughing made me wonder how an asshole like Rufus knew so many people.

Glancing over the crowd for my new boss, I saw how he did it. Just two hours ago I was talking to a complete douche who had taken me from my home against my will. Now, that douche was conversing with a small group of people, looking like a man who'd just donated a crap load of money out of the goodness of his heart. He was wearing a white suit.

Reno saw me gawking and said, "Rufus knows how to play a role."

I nodded. Even Reno looked somewhat presentable in a suit. I looked away, crossing my bare arms as I shivered. Even though the heat was on, it was freezing inside, even for me, and I was always cold because of Isa's presence. The dress Elena had bought did nothing to keep body heat.

The dress had fit somewhat, though it was a little tight around my stomach. Elena had managed to pin my long hair up in a loose bun, several strands framing my face. For reasons unknown to Elena and I, no amount of make-up could cover the scar on my wrist, so instead I wore my arm in a sling so no one would notice it. Thankfully, I was able to hide my gun in a sheath on my left thigh, hiding it from view under the dress and giving me the safety of having a weapon on me. I wasn't really a dress person, but this was different. This was the first time I had ever dressed up for a party and I actually felt pretty.

Of course, Reno had to ruin it for me.

"You're looking pretty good in that dress, Claire," He smirked, looking down at me.

"You look good too," I muttered, faking a smile at a couple who passed us, "It'd be a shame for someone to break that nose of yours. Get your hand off my butt."

"Just playin' the part, yo."

Before I could say anything else, an older man walked up to us, smiling. "Ah, I don't think I've met you two before," He extended his hand, "My name is Arther Tomp. I'm friend of Rufus."

Reno smiled and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Tomp. I'm Kato Hachi and this is Arriana, my fiancé." I nearly choked at his lie, but managed to smile at Mr. Tomp.

"Nice to meet you," I said.

Mr. Tomp smiled wider. "Oh, congratulations to you two! My wife Beth and I have been married almost thirty years."

At the sound of her name, a woman walked over. "Arther," She said, "Rufus would like to speak with you dear."

Mr. Tomp nodded to us. "Well, I'll chat with you two later." Beth smiled at us before following her husband.

As soon as no one was looking, I grabbed Reno's arm and dragged him over to a secluded corner. Before he could make another sex innuendo, I snapped at him. "What the hell was that?!" I hissed.

"Look," Reno said, "the point is to blend in, so we're blending in. Don't complain, yo."

I wanted to shoot him, but gritted my teeth and kept quiet. The next hour was spent wandering around, smiling that fake smile that Turks had and greeting people and couples. I spotted Elena and Rude across the room, keeping careful watch over the crowd. Elena looked beautiful in a slim black dress and heels, a black rose pinned in her hair. Rude was the only man in the room wearing sunglasses, which was strange considering they weren't needed. Like Reno, he wore a suit.

Isa floated through out the room, watching me like a hawk.

I got thirsty so I told Reno that I was going to the drink table. He nodded and headed off in some direction, leaving me to my own devices. As I headed to the table, a man was walking towards me. He wasn't dressed like anyone in the room; instead of a suit he wore a black outfit and a tattered blood-red cloak that covered his mouth, a gold gauntlet on one of his hands. Long black hair flowed behind him, a red cloth holding his bangs from his face.

Everything seemed to slow down as he came closer. Bright unnaturally red eyes locked with mine, narrowing as he scanned my face. The scar on my wrist began to burn, making me wince. Isa growled and pressed closer to me possessive. A sick feeling entered my stomach, a strange, horrible feeling I'd never felt before.

I read somewhere that demon hosts were rare because the human body was usually unfit to control a demon. The few who could manage the demon normally went insane or were taken over completely. Even if a person could control the demon, they could only do it for a while before they had to let it out; if they didn't, the demon would get restless and release toxins in the person's body. Isa had never tried to take over, so it made me wonder what it was like to be totally overcome by a demon.

The information I had read made me curious about this man. I saw four demons circling near him, but how on earth was he able to live with all that pressure? There was one scary-looking demon that was more active than the others, so I guessed he was the strongest. The way this man looked, his aura, his stare, it was so intense I could practically feel the strength radiating off him. I had never met someone so terrifying in my entire life.

I couldn't help it; I needed to know who this man was. As he passed, I grabbed his arm. The man turned his head, ruby eyes boring into me, seeming to go right through me. I opened my mouth. "Who-?"

Before I could finish speaking he jerked his arm away and walked past. I stood there, stunned, and turned to look at him. He was speaking quietly with another man who had pale blonde hair that spiked out in all directions. The blonde man looked over at me with bright, mako colored eyes. I turned and walked quickly to the drink table, ignoring the man's stare.

I sighed as I grabbed a glass of juice. Looking at the juice inside, I quickly saw there was nothing suspicious. Just as I was about to take a drink, someone tapped on my shoulder. I set the glass on the table and turned to see who was touching me. A pretty woman smiled at me.

"Hi, I'm so sorry to bug you, but you look very familiar. Have we met?" She said, tilting her head.

Looking closer at her, I didn't see anything that I would remember her by. "Sorry," I said, shaking me head, "I don't recognize you from anywhere."

The woman nodded, looking disappointed. I saw her eyes shift from my face to somewhere behind me, then back to me. I was about to look over my shoulder when she touch my arm.

"Oh, dear, what happened to your arm?" She asked, concerned.

I blinked, trying to come up with a quick lie. _Bullshit your way through it, Claire_, I thought as I said, "I fell down a flight of stairs while I was visiting my sister and her family. I was helping with the laundry and didn't see the, ah, sock on the first step." I grimaced. _Great bullshit, Claire. A sock? That was your great downfall? Really? _The woman didn't seem to see through my bad lie, however and simply patted my shoulder before apologizing for bothering me. Her eyes flickered to my glass before she turned and walked away quickly.

Raising an eyebrow, I turned back to the table and picked up my glass. I raised the glass to my lips and took a drink, but stopped when a strange scent hit my noise. What was that? It was faint, but didn't smell right. Confused, I looked into the glass and saw some oily looking substance floating on the top of the juice's surface. _What the hell? _I thought, looking into the other glasses. All of them looked fine. _How. . .?_ I set the glass down quickly and glanced around, searching for the culprit. Whoever had done it, they were disguised well. That was when it hit me; I had set my glass down when I talked to that woman. That gave someone the chance to spike it. If this was something an Anti-ShinRa group had done, it was probably a poison. I pushed down the panic that had formed in my stomach. I wasn't feeling queasy or anything, so I was alright for now. I needed to warn Reno and the others before something drastic happened.

As soon as I reached the red-head, he grabbed my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction. Reno led me to the middle of the floor, where most of the couples were dancing, and put my hand on his shoulder, placing both hands on my waist.

"What are you doing?" I hissed quietly.

"Dancing with you, babe," He grinned as we started to dance.

I shook my head, "Look, I need to tell you something impor-get your hand off my butt!"

"It slipped! What is it, yo?"

I glanced around the room, leaning in closer to him. "Someone slipped something in my drink," I whispered, "I'm not sure what it is."

Reno looked at me, "How do you know?"

"When I took a drink, I smelled something weird so I looked in my glass and there was an oil on the surface."

He cursed and looked around. "There's probably spies here," He said lowly, "We need to find them before they get to Rufus."

"So what do we do?" I asked. There was no way to warn the others without causing a scene.

I saw Reno smirk. "We'll make a distraction. If the guys we're dealing with are smart, they probably know you're a Turk, and they'll think whatever they spiked your drink with has taken effect. All we need to do is distraction everyone long enough to figure out who the spies are."

I thought a moment before coming up with the perfect distraction. "I got it. Follow my lead, okay?" He nodded and I glanced around, waiting for the right moment. My plan was to fake passing out. There were probably doctors in the room, so I'd have Isa possess me slightly so he could white out my eyes so it'd look like there was something wrong with me. But there were two things wrong with my plan. First, when Isa whites out my eyes, I'd be completely blind and defenseless. Second, my body could only handle about five or six minutes of Isa's control until I started to bleed internally. I glanced up at Isa. _Ready Isa? _He whispered that he was prepared. I sucked in a large breath as Isa pushed my conciousness to the back of my mind and took over.

* * *

Reno wasn't expecting Claire to collapse to the floor, shaking and convulsing. He caught her as she fell, kneeling down as he supported her upper-body with his forearm. A bit of panic shoot through him when saw she wasn't acting, but it disappeared when he saw her eyes roll back to show the whites; that meant Isa was in control. Reno almost called out her real name, but remembered the distraction.

"Arriana?" He looked around the room frantically and rose his voice, "Somebody help!"

People gasped and looked from one to another, unsure of what to do. Reno saw Elena and Rude a few feet away looking confused. He shook his head quickly, letting them know it was just a fake.

Finally, a man pushed through the crowd, kneeling down at Claire's side. "I'm a doctor, I can help!" He said. Reno nodded and let the man check Claire's vital signs. "I need to get her somewhere she can lay down before I can do anything. Do you know where. . .?"

"Yeah," Reno nodded and pointed to a set of double doors, "There's a room out those doors, down the hall. Can I go with her?"

The man shook his head, "It'd be best for you to stay here with the others and keep everyone calm if I need to call an ambulance."

Reno nodded, watching as the stranger picked Claire up and carried her away. His eyes narrowed. Why would a doctor say that? The Turk stood, staring after the man. Something bloomed in his chest, an emotion that was only slightly familiar. Reno worried for his comrades, like anyone would, but this was different; it felt like worry, anxiety, and fear all mixed up into a ball.

What was happening to him?

* * *

When Isa released his hold over me, I remained still, slowly regaining my senses. I didn't hear a lot of noises so I guessed I was no longer in the ballroom. Someone was with me, either speaking to himself or on the phone with someone.

"I'm with her now." Pause. "I don't know what's wrong with her, she just collapsed." Pause. "Okay."

My sight was returning quickly, and I struggled to see who I was with. It was a man, and he was pulling a gun from his coat. I saw the silencer and struggled to regain control over my limbs. The man was about to turn around when Isa knocked one of the books off the bookshelf across the room. He stopped and looked over to the shelf before walking to it and picking the book up. I struggled to sit up, slipping my arm out of the sling and grabbing the gun from its sheath on my thigh. I stood slowly, Trying to keep my heels from giving me away as I approached the man.

He suddenly spun around, the gun aimed for my head. "Don't make this difficult, Turk," He said.

Glancing over at Isa, I replied, "Too bad. Isa, go!"

The man turned as Isa threw a book at him. I knocked the gun from his hand and punched him in the stomach before kicking the gun away. He retaliated by grabbing my arm and slamming me against the wall, knocking the breath out of me. I gasped for air, skidding down the wall and trying to block the stranger's kicks to my stomach. My gun had been dropped and was too far way for me to reach without exposing an opening for the man's attacks. I cried out as he grabbed my hair and yanked me up into a sitting position. I tried to reach for my gun, but he kicked me in the stomach and I cried out as pain ripped through my stomach.

Suddenly, the man loosened his grip on my hair and I fell forward, gasping. I turned and looked at him; Isa had his hands around the man's throat, strangling him. Leaning against the wall for support, I stood and kicked him back, continuing to kick him until there was blood coming from his mouth. I knelt near him, grabbing him by the collar and pushing him against the bed frame. Isa handed me my gun, and I watched as the stranger's eyes widened when he saw the gun move.

"W-what the hell-"

"Did you spike my drink?" I asked. When he didn't answer, I asked again. No answer. I never thought I'd ever have to torture someone, but it seemed I had no choice. "Okay, buddy, this is how things are gonna work: I'll ask a question and you'll answer, or I'll break every damn one of your fingers. Now, did you, or did you not, spike my drink?"

The man just glared at me. "No? Alright, then." I grabbed his hand and bent his thumb backwards until I heard a sickening 'pop' and he screamed out in pain.

Ten minutes and eight fingers later, I was almost at my breaking point. This man was either incredibly loyal or incredibly stupid. Finally, I grabbed him by the throat and pressed the barrel of my gun against his cheek. "This is where it ends," I hissed, "Tell me who all is here, and I'll make your death less painful. If you don't, I'll possess your body and kill every one of your friends here."

"A-alright!" The man sputtered, staring at me and Isa with wide eyes. "There- there's seven of us! We c-c-came to kill ShinRa, b-but our psychic said there were demon hosts in the room so we-"

"Wait, you have a _psychic _here? Where are they?"

"P-please, she's innocent!"

"Where is she?!" I repeated.

"Five rooms d-down! P-p-please, don't kill her!" He cried.

I gritted my teeth. "Tell me what the plan is and I promise I won't hurt her."

The man answered eagerly. "One of the members are going to summon a monster in thirty minutes! That's when the others are going to kill ShinRa." I nodded and stood, aiming at the man's head. "W-what are you d-doing?!" He asked.

"I told you I'd give you a painless death if you told me what I wanted to know," I said. My finger hesitated, but I forced myself to pull the trigger. Blood splattered across my face and dress, but I was too busy throwing up to the side to notice. Shaking, I pulled my phone out of my bra and dialled Reno's number.

_"Claire? Are you alright, yo?"_

"I-I'm fine," I stuttered, glancing at the bloody mess and bits of flesh scattered near the body. "Listen, there's six spies in there. I just took out one, he said one of them will be summoning a monster in thirty minutes so the others can kill Rufus while everyone panics."

_"Alright, get out of there, okay? The others will probably send someone to check up on their friend."_

"I will, but I need to find someone first. The spy said there's a psychic here in one of the rooms."

_"Claire, just be careful."_ I didn't recognize the emotion in his voice.

"You too," I said before hanging up and putting the phone back in my bra. I threw up again after looking at the body, but made myself open the door quietly, glancing up and down the hall before locking the door from the inside and closing it. Walking slowly with my gun pointed down, I made my way down the hall, counting the doors as I reached the fifth one. I tried the door knob, but it was locked. _Isa, go in and unlock it, okay? _I waited until I heard a click, and opened the door, quickly shutting it behind me.

There was no one in the room except for a guy, maybe in his thirties, holding a machine gun. He turned around, surprised, but I gave him no time to react as Isa covered my hand with his and I grabbed the man's head, slamming it into the wall. With Isa's strength and speed, the man's head was crushed against the wall, blood, flesh, and brain matter splattering everywhere. I stepped back to avoid getting covered in muck, flicking my hand to get the goo off. The guy's body fell to the floor, a blood stained dent in the wall. I was stepping over the man's scattered brain when I heard a gasp.

Spinning around, I saw a teen girl, fourteen or fifteen, standing in the doorway to the room's bathroom. The girl had light brown skin and big, brown doe eyes. She didn't look threatening, wearing a short pink dress and a white sweater. She opened her mouth and I raised my gun.

"Scream and you're next, girlie," I said lowly. She shut her mouth, only to open it again.

"Y-you're o-one of t-t-them," She whispered, "T-the demon hosts."

I groaned. This _kid_ was the psychic? "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you," I sighed, lowering my gun, "What's your name, girlie?"

She swallowed nervously. "N-Naomi. Naomi Teruyoka."

I held out my hand. "Claire Lovelocke, nice to meet ya. Listen, you need to come with me."

* * *

Naomi watched the woman named Claire carefully. The young teen had never seen someone covered in blood look so pretty. The woman's hair was coming out of her bun and her dress was ripped in several places. Drops of blood covered her cheek and nose, but that didn't do anything to harm her features. It was clear she was injured, but the demon host stood straight with her shoulders back and her head held high. She was the exact person Naomi wanted to be when she was older.

Her strange blue eyes matched the eyes of the demon calmly watching her. "I c-can't. You're the enemy," Naomi said, fear gripping her.

Claire sighed and bent forward a little, her face softening as she held out her hand. "Hey, hey, it's okay to be scared," She said gently. Glancing at the dead man next to her, she added, "especially after seeing this mess." She smiled, and Naomi couldn't help but smile back slightly. This woman had a very pretty smile. "We need to get you somewhere safe, okay? I promise I won't hurt you."

Naomi hesitated, but stepped forward. Claire seemed so nice and gentle, so it was okay, right?

As soon as she was close enough, the woman grabbed Naomi's wrist, yanking her closer. "Look, kid," Claire hissed, her pretty face unmarred by the sudden ice in her voice, "The only reason I'm not killing you is because I promised I wouldn't. Don't test me, because I've had a shitty week and I _will _break your neck if you give me any crap."

Naomi blinked, fear coursing through her, but nodded. "I-I won't."

Claire nodded, "Good. Oh, yeah, this is Isa, by the way. Don't worry, he's friendly."

Glancing at the demon, Naomi didn't say anything. Claire suddenly swayed back and forth and she blinked, trying to stay on her feet. Her grip on Naomi's wrist loosened and Naomi, instead of running away, went to help the strange demon host steady herself. "Are you okay?" Naomi asked.

Claire nodded. "I'm fine. Just dizzy, that's all. Damn spies spiked my drink earlier. I'm not really able to concentrate now, so here's the plan. You'll use that psychic ability you have to see if anyone's on the other side of the doors in the hall. Isa will protect us from behind."

"Got it," Naomi closed her eyes and took a breath, concentrating. When she opened them, her pupil became small, almost to a point, and she saw two shapes outside the door. Her extra sense told her that one was human, the other a monster. "There's a person and a monster outside. Can you handle it?"

Claire shook her head to clear it. She was beginning to look exhausted. Grabbing Naomi's arm, she stood in front of her. "No matter what, stay behind me. Isa, protect the girl until we get to Reno and the others," Claire said, raising her gun. "Let's go."

* * *

**I apologize for any errors. Riko-San had to go to her grandmother's funral today, so I used the site's spellcheck instead of having her do it. When it checked the sentence, "The man turned as Isa threw a book at him." There was a red line under 'threw' and when I clicked on it it said, "Did you mean 'through'?" Um, no I didn't. . .**

**Anyway, it's been a long week, so reveiws will be much apprecieted.**


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